The Corner
Canyon High and Juan Diego Catholic High School boys lacrosse teams advanced to
the state semifinals while the CCHS girls team placed sixth, an all-time high,
and the JDCHS girls team made it past the first round.

CCHS Boys

Corner
Canyon began the season with eight straight wins — outscoring opponents 107 to
48 during that stretch — and ended the year with wins against Pleasant Grove
17-3 and Lone Peak 11-5 in the state playoffs before the Chargers lost to Brighton
10-9 in the semifinals.

“We had high
expectations this season,” CCHS boys coach Aaron Ika, in his first year as head
coach, said. “We lost four key guys throughout the year with season-ending knee
injuries, but it was a battle of perseverance and our boys never got down. It
was a case of the ‘next man up’ and our boys did a great job.”

First Team
All-State midfielder Kyle Brown said, “We had a very good season. We competed
with the top teams in the state.”

“I’m
really proud of how our team started and ended this season,” Second Team All-State
attacker Zak Fankhauser said. “We had some ups and downs that came with
injuries which put some kinks into our game plans, but we had the ‘next man up’
mentality which was crucial.”

Brown was
honored as an Academic All-American for his scholastic excellence.

“I am very
grateful for this award, and I’m glad my hard work over the years has paid
off,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without great coaches and support from
my parents along the way.”

“Kyle has
a motor that doesn’t quit,” Ika said. “He scored over 55 goals for us.”

Brown has
been playing lacrosse for more than 12 years when he joined some friends in
playing the sport and has been named First Team All-State the past two seasons.
He said he has learned discipline and punctuality, among other life lessons
from working hard to excel in the sport.

The
recently graduated senior plans to play lacrosse at Brigham Young University
following a two-year LDS mission to Santiago, Chile.

Fankhauser
was recognized with the 2018 Utah High School Lacrosse League Blake Strebel (Community
Service) Award. “I have felt very honored and a little surprised by this
award,” he said. “It’s definitely a cool feeling to have my name on the same
plaque as Blake’s. He contributed to not only his own lacrosse team and the
lacrosse community, but also affected his community through his service and
love before he passed away tragically.”

“Zak was a
do-everything player for us with 37 goals and 37 assists,” Ika said. “His stats
really show that he wasn’t afraid to get others involved or take the shot when
he needed to.”

In sixth
grade, Fankhauser began playing lacrosse and “fell in love with the sport right
away.” As a 5'8" and 150-pound player, he found a sport where he used his
speed to his advantage against bigger opponents. Working hard, persevering and
listening to constructive criticism are lessons he has learned on and off the
field during his years in the sport.

Fankhauser
would like to play collegiately and has been entertaining interest from a
variety of schools, but first his focus in on a Spanish-speaking LDS mission to
Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Kyle and
Zak were two of our four team captains,” Ika said. “They were also two of the
quietest guys on our team who truly led by example.”

Others on
the CCHS boys team who received post season honors were Jaden Kasteler, who
will be playing at Westminster, and Bodi Sutherland, who were named First Team
All-State; Braxton Packer, Second Team All-State; and All-Region players Caleb
Dickson, Chase Feller, Tyson Fotheringham, Elias Hanks, David Knowlton and
Jacob Simpson.

The JDCHS
boys team defeated Highland 10-4 and American Fork 17-7 before losing to Park
City 10-8 in the state semifinals.

The
Soaring Eagle program was led by Robert “Bo” Caldwell, who was named an
All-American, First Team All-State players Jonathan Caston and Hunter Easterly,
Second Team All-State attacker Andy Schuman and Honorable Mention attacker Sam
Burbank.

Head coach
John Holmes was assisted by Michael Burbank, Joshua Condas, Craig Cordial,
Bryan Davis, Carson Franklin, Dave Johnson, Daniel Mannix, Mark Schuman and
Brad Tack on the coaching staff along with program representatives Robert
Caldwell and Beverly Herrmann.

CCHS Girls

Second
Team All-State junior Madison Andrews led the Chargers girls lacrosse team with
35 goals and 26 assists on its way to a win in the state tournament against
Bingham 9-7. The squad lost to American Fork 19-5 to end a 9-5 season.

“We had a
lot of changes to make going into the postseason and the team did wonderful at
implementing them,” head coach Taylor Dahl said. “In the past, the Corner
Canyon program has had a bit of a road block on playoffs. But, I was so proud
to see the girls keep it together and play calmly but still with a lot of
heart. We had so much fun showing what Corner Canyon girls lacrosse could do.”

Senior
Payton Ulrich, junior Alyana Enniss and sophomore Sofia Chieco were also
recognized with postseason honors on the All-Region team.

“We had an
incredible season,” Dahl said, noting a 10-goal win over rival Alta and a
hard-fought game with eventual state champion Park City as highlights of the
year. “I am so proud of the work and effort that the girls gave throughout the
season. They play with a passion that is so much fun to watch.”

JDCHS Girls

The JDCHS
girls lacrosse team started the year with three losses — to Brighton 10-9, Alta
6-3 and Park City 13-4 — before getting on the winning track and losing just
five more the rest of the way.

At the
state tournament, Juan Diego defeated Viewmont 12-9 before losing to Park City
12-6 Seniors Lexi Moratella and Abbey Kolff along with juniors Kylee Furikawa
and Ryan Stolfew led the way for the Soaring Eagle team this year.